Headlamp construction



July-2l, 1931. 5.1. WHALEN -HEAD Lm CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 23. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY July 21, 1931. a J; mm 5 555 mmi LAIIP CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 23. 1.929; 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 IN NTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 1931 PATENT mm E WARD WH WMQ sYR e s New yonizQ-nssrenon To Rnnmnornn renr GDRQBOB-A'EION or-n'ivr'Enron, 0E synecnsn, new YORK, A CORPORATION 01' NEW a Ham l-AMI consrnuorron Applicatibnfild February 23, 1929. Serial no. 342,139,.

' This invention relates to headlamps" for 'motor'vehii cle's and the like of the-typeset forth in my Patent'No-Q1,6415714'issuedSeptei-nber 6; IQQf'Fand has for its object a reflector construction for'incr'easing the rear reflector surface. froniwhich the rays are projected-in ai'horizonta'l' direction and also a particularly simple and econOinical cdns senihling the redirecting reflectors; e The'invention' consists in the novel features and in. the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth andclaimed;

' In describing this invention, reference is had tothe accompanying drawings infl'which 1'5 like charactersdesignate corresponding parts I r Figure 1 is a" I in allthe views; r V a H vertic l sectional View of a headlamp emhodyingmyinvention;

Figure 2 isa frontelevation,'partly insecg c The curvature of the ellipsoidal zone 11 is tion, of the' rear section of theheadlamp.

- Thisheadlamp comprises, generally5 a r63 flector body ellipsoidal' n general form with therear end portionparaholic andalso havform the rear end portion 2 being parabolic,

that is, the portionlback'jof the focal plane I PP" or a transverse radial plane passing. through the focus of the parabolic por-e tion 2..

S designates the source of light whichfis the filament of an incandescent electric lamp e having its'basej3looated intheusual'socket 4'.

, The socket 4 is supported by a carrier5which is removaloly. located in a. tubular passage 6' at there'ar end ofthereflector bodyandjpref? erablyarrang'edat a right angle tolthe axis" otrevoliition AAof the body; The carrier -5 is lifeld'in position byaring 7 threadingjon the lower: end" of" thektube Grand the body 5fis provided with means as a conical surface 8 coacting with anlint'ernal complemental coniccal wall at the lowerfendf ofthe tube 6' for centeringthe lamp.,..lilso, the tube 6 isfprovided with means as a shoulder 9 for entering a notch 10 in the carrier to locate the carrier t ing n ellipsoidal zone directlyin f'ront offthe' so that it positionl' v e The mounting of the lamp is such that the lamp has What is called a fixed focus. The; mounting of the lamp and the means for 10- Eating thelamp forms n'o part of this invene ion. a 11 designates a comparatively small ellip s'oidal zone in front of the focal plane and forms a continuation, of the parabolic portion 2; The curvature of theel'lipsoidal zone 11 being such that the light rays are'reflected therefrom in a nearly horizontal direction through "the glass 12 at the front end of. the body. I v I The glass 12 is ofsuch diameter that the light rays projected from the farthest portion of the parabolic portion2 ispassed'horizontally through the edge portion ofthe glass? can be placed in the tube only one which constitutes the greater portion of the" reflector body, thisbeing of such curvature that the light rays reflected therefromentend at a comparatively great inclined angle:

downwardly andt'he rays reflected from the I extreme front portion thereof pass" downwardly throughthe reflector at an incline out of the vertical so as to illuminate the road immediately in front of'the vehicle and to the sides of'the vehicle. p

The focus F of the parabolic reflector and the rea-rfocus ofthe portionsll, 13 are sub-. stantially coincident in. the point The frontjfocus of the ellipsoidal zone '11 islocated at a considerable distance in front of the lamp while the front focus F" of the, portion 13 is locatednear the front endof the lamp.

The source of light is located so as tof be' in effect practically in the focus F so that the rays reflected from the parabolic portion 2 Will'lbe projected forwardly in" nearly horizontal lines. l-lowever, l'anip filament isafinite thingand a focus is a'theoret ical thing without dimens on, t is mpossible'to 'lo'cate 'th'eefilament in the focus, as

- ditiOnally secured to the flange 16 of the re- 7 therefrom will strike the reflectors as if 10- cated exactly in the focus, the filament is located slightly in the rear of the focus F. This, in effect, is a compromise in order that most of the rays fromthe'parabo-lic reflector will be reflected horizontally. V

In short, more rays are projected horizontally from the parabolic portion 2 and in a more nearly horizontal direction from the zone 11 than if the filament were located so that it intersects the focus F.

14 and 15 are redirecting reflectors arranged. to direct the direct rays radiating from the filament downwardly below the horizontal plane of the axisof revolution AA, rearwardly to the parabolic portion 2 through or near the focus F.

j The reflector 14 's shown as formed with a forwardly projecting base flange 16 lying on and conforming to the lower portion of the reflector bodyand secured thereto in any suitable manner as by a fastening member 17.

The reflector 15 is formed with a similar flange 18 which conforms to and overlies the flange 16 and secured thereto by a fastening member as a screw '19 extending through the flange'18, the flange 16 and the body of thereflector extending at 20 through a hole in .a saddle 21 onfwhich the reflector body is mounted. A 111E522 threads on the screw against the saddle.

The flange 18 of the reflector 15 is also adflector 14' by snap catches located near the upper ends of the flange 18.

As here shown, the flange 16 near its'f ront end is formed with internal bosses 23 struck therefrom and the flange 18 is formed with slots 24 for snappingonthe bosses. The reflector'portion 13 is formed with front and rear halves having outwardly extending abutting annular flanges '25, 26. These flanges are held together by a band27, which band is also secured to the saddle.

The band or the means for securing the sections of the reflector body form no part of this invention.

The reflectors'14 and 15 are assembled in the rear edge of-the reflector body while the front half is removed.

The rear reflector 14 is first inserted in the rear half of the body, and the flange 16 so formed as to accurately fit the rear half ellipsoidal portion 14. The screw 17 together with the fit between the flange 16 and the reflector body act'to locate and hold the re flector 14 in position. 1

The reflector 14 having been located and secured, the reflector 15 is then fitted 'into the flange 16, the ends thereof being sprung inwardly in order to clear the bosses 23 or bring the slots 24 in alinement with the bosses so that when the reflector 15- reacts and springs outwardly,the bosses are interlocked in the slots 24.

The screw19 is then placed in position and additionally secures the two reflectors to the body and to the saddle 21.

The front half of the reflector body is then placed in juxtaposition to the rearhalf and the band 27 applied. 7 V V Owing to the parabolic portion 2 and ellipsoidal zone 11 andthe reflectors 14,15, the greater portion of the light rays are projected in a general horizontal direction for a maximum distance in front and tothe side of thecar giving a maximum illumination on the road. I g V Owing to the ellipsoidal portionj13 or the upper portion thereof, sufficient light rays are directed downwardly immediately 'in front andlaterally ofthe vehicle.

VVhatI claim is :I. I

1. A headlamp construction comprising a reflector body which is ellipsoidal in general form, a source of lightlocated'near the rear focus of the body andaredirecting reflector located in the body below the horizontal plane of the axis of revolution and arranged to reflect the light rays rearwardly to the rear portion of the reflector,'said redirecting reflector having a forwardly extending base flange lying on and conforming to the inner face of the body, a saddle on which thebody is mounted and means for securing the redirecting res flector to the body including a fastening member extendingthroughsaid flange and into the saddle.

2.: A headlamp construction comprising a reflector body ellipsoidal in general form, a source of light located near the rear focus,

of thebody and redirecting reflectors arranged one in advance of the Iotherand locoated in the portion ofthe body below the securing the flanges together and to the body,

said means including a fastening "member extending through said flanges and the body, and a saddle on which the body is mounted, said fastening means coacting with. the saddle to secure the body to the saddle.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and in the State of New York, this 18th day of February, 1929.

- EDWARD" J. WHALEN. A 

